Daily Update — January 07, 2026
APAC to Expand Renewables; India’s Oil Flow; and 2025 Private Equity Highlights
Today is Wednesday, January 7, 2026, and here’s your curated selection of Essential Intelligence on global markets from S&P Global. Subscribe to be notified of each new Daily Update.
Energy Transition & Sustainability
Asia-Pacific to boost renewable energy capacity in 2026 despite geopolitical challenges, inflation
Asia-Pacific countries are set to expand their renewable energy capacities in 2026, maintaining the momentum of the energy transition despite headwinds from geopolitics and inflation, industry experts said. Home to two of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters — China and India — Asia-Pacific is advancing renewable energy projects through favorable policies and incentives.
"I'm not seeing anything which is affecting countries and their budgets in such a way that the energy transition would get slower," Ajay Shankar, distinguished fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute, told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy. "The commercial logic for the transition is so strong that it can grow without subsidies from the government."
Shankar acknowledged rising costs for solar photovoltaic modules and project implementation, but said that renewable power still holds a significant price advantage over conventional energy.
Global Trade
Venezuela crisis seen having minimal impact on Indian oil flow, upstream developments eyed
India's downstream sector is unlikely to be significantly affected by the geopolitical developments in Venezuela as oil flows from the South American supplier had largely dried up long before recent events, regional industry sources and market analysts told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy. Indian state-run upstream producers are monitoring the situation to gauge the implications related to their investments in Venezuela, sources said.
India is familiar with Venezuelan crude. The country imported 108 million barrels — or about 300,000 b/d — of Venezuelan-origin crude oil in 2019, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea data. The flows declined to 25 million barrels in 2024, while only one very large crude carrier discharged Venezuelan crude into the port of Sikka in 2025. Venezuelan crudes that Indian refiners import, such as Merey-16 and Hamaca, are typically heavy, with high sulfur and asphaltene content, producing a higher percentage of residue.
Private Markets
Year in Review: 10 most read private equity articles in 2025
Private equity faced a challenging year in 2025, with exits and deals on two different tracks. Persistently high interest rates and uncertainties over tariffs pushed investors to reevaluate exit plans, while private equity-backed investments surpassed the full-year 2024 level, driven by high-value deals.
The top 10 most-read private equity stories of 2025 highlight interest in the tough exit and fundraising environment as well as investment bright spots, particularly in defense and AI.
In case you missed it
- Eight of the world's largest oilfield developments scheduled to start in 2026 could add more than 450,000 b/d to global oil markets, with the biggest contributions coming from Africa and South America.
- Australian Pilbara iron ore is expected to maintain its competitive position in China's steel supply chain despite the imminent arrival of iron ore from Guinea's Simandou project.
- The Democratic Republic of Congo is at risk of eroding its cobalt dominance in 2026 as rising prices drive up production from competitors, increase recycling, and incentivize the use of cobalt-free batteries in energy storage and electric vehicles.
Upcoming events
- Blueprints Made Simple: Macro Insights Dashboard: Unlock Macro Trends with the Macro Insights Dashboard | January 14 (Webinar)
- S&P Global Energy Horizons Top Trends 2026: AI Growth and Geopolitical Shifts Reshape Global Energy Markets | January 14 (Webinar)
- APAC Dividend Outlook 2026: Decoding Dividend Dynamics for Investors | January 20 (Webinar)
